Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
Top quality BMX pedals are not sold at Wal-Mart. Gotta go to an LBS that carries BMX products. And they are not especially cheap. Good BMX pedals cost $30, $50, and up. But, where can you get knee surgery for just $50? And, knee surgery is where many cyclists who ride several thousand miles each year are headed with their "Be Like Lance" half dollar sized pedals.
I ride about three hundred days a year. Being comfortable is a top priority, because my feet and knees don't benefit from the "five days of rest" that week-end riders get between rides. There is no need to "suffer" on a road bike, just to LOOK like a Pro rider.
A saddle ought to be as wide as your rear. A pedal ought to be as wide as your foot. After you have been on the road a few weeks with pedals that don't cause pain in your feet or hurt your knees you will be happy to throw away your "Lance" pedals.
This is pretty puzzling. Previously, I have gotten the impression that you are pretty knowledgable and unbiased, but this is just odd. Clipless pedals and cleats can be adjusted to a wide variety of positions, not to mention float. Personally, I find clipless much more comfortable than platform, and yes, I have ridden thousands of miles on each.
Let me enumerate the benefits of clipless pedals over platforms:
1) Foot automatically stays in efficient position, eliminating need for micro-managing feet on slippery wet pedals
2) More muscles available, increasing power and stamina
3) Less risk of slipping off the pedal when out of the saddle
4) This could just apply to me, but the shoes are more comfortable for cycling, as they're not loose and can be tightened comfortably, and have stiffer soles.
Disadvantages:
1) Requires special shoes
2) Requires a couple seconds when you start to get clipped in
3) Must remember to clip out
Properly adjusted clipless pedals are not any more likely to cause injuries than platforms. Slightly less I would suspect, though it's probably negligible. I'm guessing you've had some bad experience with pedals or something. It's pretty rare that you ever hear from someone who has gone from platforms to clipless, and then switched back.